First Day of Advent

Have a Blessed Christmas Season!

Bob R.I.P.

Bob passed away today while I was at work. It was obvious that she suffered. I hope it was quick. My heart hurts. It's going to be real quiet around here now without her chirping and bouncing around (and falling off her perch) in the her cage in my bedroom.

I am thankful for........

Going around the table today at our Thanksgiving feast - we, one by one, young and old - tried to express to our table mates and family members the things that make us thankful. (My son was rather eloquent in his praise of his wife and family and employment status.) My 3 year old grandson was sitting on my right - and was one of the last to express himself. As each family member spoke, NTM, was keeping up a running commentary to me: "Granma, I'm thankful for my Dad and my Mom." "Granma, I'm thankful for Grandpa - and for you." (Grandpa is not mine - he is "Other Grandma's.) And then, when it came time for my Sweet Baby Boy to express himself, he says: "I'm thankful for my shoes." When I mentioned all the other thanks he had told me before it was his turn, NTM said "Yes, Granma, but, I'm REALLY thankful for my shoes." Auntie told him it was a very good thing to be thankful for our shoes and we had a very pleased 3 year old turkey butt at our table reminding us all that it's the small things in life- like Spiderman shoes, that we can be thankful for, and find our joy.

Fruit Salad Anyone?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I am in charge of the fruit salad. Well, I'm also in charge of the birthday cake for the hostess (I can say this because I know she doesn't read my blog) and I just retrieved the 3 layers of checkerboard cake from the oven. After it cools I will frost it in cookies and cream fashion with vanilla and chocolate frosting and crushed Oreo's. The most difficult thing about the cake is my kitchen - where anything more challenging than Top Ramen can be an ordeal. But it's the fruit salad. I admit, I just don't GET fruit salads. We didn't have them on the table when I was growing up, and I never made them for my kids. For one, I don't like my fruit touching. I don't see the appeal of a strawberry flavored piece of banana - or a banana flavored strawberry. And I never know how creative I can get with these things. (This isn't the first time I have been asked to bring one.) The first year, I carved a watermelon to look like a basket- and threw all the cut up pieces of fruit back into the watermelon shell. That was well received and disappeared quickly. But one year, for my grand son's first birthday I went berserk and made a fruit 'bouquet" - drove 100 miles with the thing in my car - placed it on the table, and nobody ate the damn thing. It was being treated like a non-edible center piece. Not wanting a few good hours of my time to go to waste I started dismantling it myself and handing out the fruit skewers. Yes, I did. I just said 'first birthday party' and skewers in the same breath. Two and a half years later and I have not sufficiently recovered from the sheer terror of little kids and sharp wooden objects with food on them.

So, this year, I'm just going to present the fruit in a nice bowl, bite size pieces, no raisins or coconut (or melons due to allergies) - and put it on the table somewhere (salad side? desserts?). Well, I didn't initiate this so quite probably the person who did - will know where to put it. (Or at least have some opinion about that - if she actually DOES read my blog.)

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring........

Well, this isn't going to work. Maybe if it HAD been an old man snoring, I probably could have slept easier.

Last night was my first rainstorm in this apartment. I've been here 11 months (already). And one of the - well, the ONLY big plus for this place is the covered back porch. With 2 archways (supporting the upper levels) I have room for a table and chairs, a wooden trunk, my craft table, a year round Christmas tree and a bazillion plants- with room to walk around. There are also 2 stamp size grassy areas for the dog- that are out from under the cover of the overhang. So, not surprisingly, ....the water drips. And not a Shirley- Temple- like pitter patter of "I love to walk in the rain- look for me when it's stormy on some cloudy lane and I'll be there..." ( I was a HUGE Shirley Temple fan growing up) - but the relentless ta-theump-drip drip- theump-drip reminiscent of Poe's Tale Tale Heart.

Woke me up about 2:00 in the morning. And - WHO - at that time of morning, can't find something to lie alone in the dark and feel guilty about? So, not being able to reroute the dripping - I got up and turned on all the fans and the wall mounted AC to try and white noise out the plat-plat-tha-thump of the rain. Eventually it worked, and I finally went back to sleep - but not until I added another blanket, socks and a long sleeve shirt and sent my most fervent apologies to any and all of the kind folks I may have offended in my life..........

"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! --tear up the planks! here, here! --It is the beating of his hideous heart!"

Happy Turkey Day preparation!

So busy at the local A&P (I actually haven't seen an A&P since I was a kid- anyone remember Zody's? - but, it just sounded better - Thanksgiving is ALL about nostalgia for me!) when I went foraging for the week's food Sunday. Took me a minute to figure out what the deal was- until I saw all the Turkeys in the slowly moving grocery carts (this store is right across from 3 major retirement homes). In the last 5 years, I have cooked only one turkey dinner in my own home. It was awesome. My son and his wife and belly baby came as did the parents-in-law, my Sweet Baby Girl and her family - the grand daughter's spending the night. I cooked and baked and cleaned and offered and sorted for days. Just like ol' times. Loved it. Our Thanksgiving dinners growing up- and when my kids were growing up were ALL about the big meals and family. So Norman Rockwell. Right up to the minute (and beyond because my Dad had a great laugh) that my baby cousin threw mashed potatoes at my Mom's prized grand father clock (that was too big for the wall so, it stood 90 years on the floor............) And just a few years ago- my Grand daughters strapped on the roller skates, dressed in poodle skits - put up a colorful sign for "Darcy Lou's Diner" and served Mom and Dad and Granma a rockin' 50's Thanksgiving feast they had helped prepare.........ahhhhhhhhhhh, memories.......the BEST dessert! This year I'll be building more memories over the river and through the woods to Other Grandma's house- it's my youngest Grandson's first Thanksgiving, my 3 year old is a good eater and it looks like snow in Colorado!

A Thanksgiving Proclamation - October 3, 1789

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3rd day of October, A.D. 1789.

Twlight

Tonight's the night. The movie Twilight is released at mid-night and for the very first time in my life I am going to a first showing midnight movie. (I've been to 2 other midnight movies- far from first showing - Rocky Horror and Ruling Class- both a kick to see in the middle of the night.) I read the Twilight series in one week in August during my vacation to Colorado to see My Sweet Baby Girl and her family. That's 4 books, all over 600 pages the last over 750. We were hooked and it was fun sharing it with my family. If I were going to be standing in line with my grand daughters tonight (I'm sure most of the other folks there will actually LOOK like my grand daughters!) - I probably wouldn't feel so....well, silly? about this. I mean, I'm a grand mother for Pete's sake. (I made brownies to pass around - a grandmother I tell ya!) And I'm meeting 10 or 11 other women all about my daughter's age to sit in chairs for a few hours in line - talk about the book (now, I go to a Book Club once a month with women my age, and don't feel..well........silly....... about it) - and then we are all off to breakfast afterwards to talk about it all. Maybe because the book is about teenagers. Well, 200 year old teenagers, but ......hey - wait! I'm a GRANDMOTHER - doesn't that make me a 56 year old teenager myself! Alright! This works for me!

I have a new gadget!

I have a new gadget! It is a gift from my friend, Veronica! Thank you Veronica! It is a blue tooth! Now, I can drive and appear to talk to myself all at the same time! This was an awesome surprise. I met Veronica and her family last night for the Ballet Folkloric - and of course, I called her on the way over from my phone- with a concern about driving towards the fires.....and I had her on speaker phone and there was alot of "What? Huh? and 'Hang up and talk to me when you get here's." Little did I know that lurking in the back seat of Veronica's car - after the Ballet- I would have a blue tooth all wrapped up in pink tissue and a matching gift bag. I got the cell and the head set to 'sync' - but, I'm not sure how to hang up the phone when I'm done talking. I may have to call Veronica and ask....................

A txt photo from my Sweet Baby Girl in Colorado

First snow came late this year........

It got me!

Exactly one week to the day that I turned down a flu shot at my annual check up smugly stating "Oh, I NEVER get the flu- and I've NEVER had a shot" - the nasty bug that went thru my son's family (in my 4 previous blogs) bit me on the butt and laid me out on the couch for the requisite 24 hours. Ick. Nasty. And yes, I'm a couch sickie. Have been ever since I was a kid when being sick was the ONLY reason we were allow to lay out on the couch - and then it was all pillows and blankets, soup form Mom and a new stuffed animal from my Dad. (Well, I think my brother s got a more 'manly' gift, but, I don't recall what it was- and anyway - this blog is about me.) Because when you are sick it is all about YOU. So there I was camped out on the couch, with my soda and my crackers and my T.V.

Now, the bathroom is closer to my bed (important consideration with the flu) - and my bed is more comfortable that the sofa- but old habits die hard and we regress to what is comfy when we don't feel well. I did notice however, that my preference for being alone when I'm sick is probably more of a "lay your offerings of warm soup and gifts at my feet and then go somewhere behind that wall where I can't see or hear you - but, know you are there" than actually alone. And it's stressful for my kids when I'm alone and sick - my son called to check on me, and sounded worried and sad that his munchkins germed me up (we work at the same company and it's hard to 'go missing' for a day without him knowing even though our offices are over 100 miles apart) - but, I only communicated with my daughter by txt that day- and as good as she is- she's not clairvoyant.

I kept up the stuffed animal thing with my grand daughters and my youngest still has a white cat I gave her- called 'Sickie Kitty". That darlin' girl lent her to me once to make me feel better. Maybe that's what I needed...Sickie Kitty.....or maybe my grand daughter. In any event I am better and back on my feet and back to work and blogging - and so is the rest of my California family! Hope it doesn't travel to Colorado!

God's 3 answers:

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Today is my Mothers birthday- and I am wearing blue. I uploaded several pictures of my Mom from the 70th birthday party we threw for her. It was a surprise.......a real surprise.....with grand kids and great grand kids and matching t-shirts with pigs - and Mom in a tiera! But, for some reason this morning I can't get them to upload....so I'll work on it again later - and get the birthday wishes out now.

Mom would have been 82 today!

I love you Cherished Lady!

For all my sickies: Healer

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease
I trust in You
I trust in You
I believe You're my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my Portion
I believe You're more than enough for me Jesus
You're all I need
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

Big Brother and CA. Mommy are better - but....

Oh No! Now CA. Daddy has it!

Uh Oh!

CA. Mommy got it Saturday night and now

Big Brother is a sickie! Feel better soon Angel Voice and Sweet Baby Boy I! Granma Loves you!

All Better!

Sickie baby alert!

Oh no! My littlest Sweet Baby Boy is not feeling well! Granma loves you! Feel better!

Did I mention it was my favorite time of the year?

My favorite time of year.

Fall. I love it...................

I also love covered bridges. In fact, any kind of bridge appeals to me. I could travel the entire U.S. - the world - just to look at bridges. (Hey, some folks travel to baseball stadiums- so, it's not all THAT weird!)

Proposition 8

My heart hurts. I am not going to discuss gay marriage. I am going to tell you why my heart hurts.
Proposition 8 is a constitutional amendment to take away the rights of targeted American citizens.
Martin Luther King, in his “I Have a Dream’ speech paraphrased Thomas Jefferson when he said:
‘I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’
All men. Not all straight men. All men.
When I stand before My Maker and God brings out the book of my life - He will not be asking me about the bedroom antics of Bruce and Charles. That story will be in their book.
My God will ask me what did I do to make this a better world, to love my neighbor as I love myself.
I am going to bed tonight with ‘Yes on Proposition 8’ ahead in the polls.
And my heart hurts. And I am sad and disappointed. We are stripping away the very same liberties so many have died to protect. One vote at a time. And I'm sad I encouraged so many to vote.

“When first they came for the criminals I did not speak
Then they began to take the Jews
When they fetched the people who were members of trade unions
I did not speak
When they took the bible students
Rounded up the homosexuals
Then they gathered up the immigrants and Gypsies
I did not speak
Eventually they came for me
And there was no one left to speak."

Well, apparently, my vote DID count !!!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen: The 44th President of the United States.

Did you?

Not the only 2 running!

OK folks.........if you just can't bring yourself to vote for Obama or McCain.....there are other names on the ballot- take a look- and get out and cast that vote ! And don't forget - we have some Propositions that need your attention!

Early voting polls open in less than an hour!

'Toto, I have a feeling we are not in Alaska anymore.'

Find the time to vote! Just 2 days left!

2 days, 15:23:30 hours until polls close

Will your vote count?

The swearing-in of the President of the United States occurs upon the commencement of a new term of a President of the United States. The United States Constitution mandates that the President make the following oath or affirmation before he or she can "enter on the Execution" of the office of the presidency:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

3 more days!